Apparatus for rolling rings



PATENTED PEB. 9, `1904..

G. W. LA

APPARATUS FOR R 0N HL NG RINGS.

No. 751,861. PATENTLD FEB. 9, 1904.

G. W. LA VOO.

APPARATUS FOR ROLLING RINGS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23. 1903.

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No. 751,861. PATENIED FEB. 9, 1904.

G. W. LA V00. APPARATUS FOR ROLLING RINGS.

APPLICATION I'ILED MAR. 23. 1903.

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Patented February 9, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEQRGE W'. LA VOO, OF STEUBENVILLE, OHIO.

APPARATUS FOR ROLLING RINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 7 51,861 dated February9, 1904.

Application led March 23, 1903.

To @ZZ whom, it may/concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. LA Voo, of Steubenville, Jefferson county,Ohio, have invented a new and useful Apparatus for Rolling Rings, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation showinga cluster-mill constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is anend elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a front elevation on a smallerscale. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views hereinafter referred to, and Fig.6 is a diagrammatic view of the pinion-gearing.

My invention relates to the rolling of rings, couplings, protectors,&c., in cluster mills whether the same are welded or not, and moreparticularly to the forming of internallyscrew-threaded rings, thoughparts of the invention are applicable to the formation of plainring-shaped articles or to the bending of blanks into circular shape.

rIhe invention is designed to increase the output, to reduce the amountof hand-labor, and to improve the operation of these mills. It consistsin providing ejector mechanism by which the circular article formed isstripped from its inner mandrel and dropped from the machine and themandrel then moved into normal position.

It also consists in mechanism for lowering,

l dropping the rollers below the mandrel to allow its withdrawal, andthe returning of these lower rollers to their normal position for thenext operation.

The invention further consists, as applied to inwardly-screw-threadedrings, in using a pair of feed-rollers for the cluster-mill, one ofwhich is provided with screw-threads to roll threads upon the blank,which then passes forward and is rolled into ring form and welded, ifdesired. The screw-threading and bending into ring form are carried outat the same heat, the blanks being cut to length before passing betweenthe screw-threading and feeding rollers.

In the drawings, 2 and 3 represent the threading feed-rolls, these beingmounted in adjust- Serial No. 149,072. (No model.)

able bearings in the general housing 4 of the cluster-mills. In the formshown the upper roll 2 is formed with screw-threads upon its surface,which impress screw-threads upon the upper face of the hot blank as itis fed into' the cluster-mill. I have shown the clustermill as havingupper shaping-rolls 5 and 6, a lower shaping-roll 7, a bending-roll 8,and a guide-roll 9, the rolls 8 and 9 being below and at opposite sidesof the mandrel 10. The upper rolls 5 and 6 are mounted in adjustablebearings, while the rolls 7, 8, and 9 are carried in bearings mounted invertical end slides 11, having edge guiding portions 12, which engageguides on the housings. The slides 11 are connected by the cross-head13, at the center of which is a shafting 14, having a central holereceiving an internally-threaded sleeve 15, which is held againstrotation by set-screw 16. A stem 17 is screwed into the sleeve 15 and isforked at its lower end to engage a short shaft 18, havingoppositely-projecting rigid guide-arms 19, carrying-rollers 20, whichmove along guides 21, secured to vertical standards 22. A roller 23 ismounted upon a central portion of the shaft 18 and is engaged by a cam24, mounted on a shaft 25, which extends to one side and has clutchconnection 26 with driving-gear 27. The cam 24 is arranged to lift therollers 7, 8, and 9 to their normal position, then retain them in thatposition for a certain period, and then lower the slides when the pointof the cam is reached, after which they remain lowered until the mandrelhas been returned to its normal position.

In order to withdraw the mandrel endwise and strip the ring from it andthen return the mandrel, I mount it upon a shaft 28, which extends toone side of the housings and is carried in along bearing in a slidinghead 29. The edges of this slide move in suitable guideways of supports30. The lower portion of the slide is provided with a curved openingcontaining the curved upper end of the leverarm 31, which forms one endof a bell-crank pivoted at 32. The other arm, 33, of the bellcrank isprovided with a friction-roller 34, which coacts with a cam 35. This camis mounted on the shaft 25 and serves to move the mandrel outwardly asthe inclined portion of the'cam acts upon the roller. `When the point ofthe cam is reached, the mandrel is at its outermost point, and kas thepoint of the cam is passed the mandrel is quickly returned to normalposition by springs 36, which are compressed during its outwardmovement. I may of course use positive means for moving the mandrel inboth directions, but preferably give a quick return movement.

During the outward movement of the mandrel the blank which has beenformed is stripped from it by the collars on the rolls 5 and 6, theybeing preferably aided by stripper-plates 37, as shown in Fig. 4, theseprojecting inwardly from the housing at the ejecting side and havingcurved inner ends arranged to engage the blank. To prevent the ring thusejected from dropping upon the roller 7 and between the rollers 8 and9,wherev it would rest, I preferably provide a tilting cover ordcflector 38, which is secured to levers 89, mounted on a shaft 40,carried in bearings in the housing and having a leverarm 41, which isengaged by the plate 13 during the downward travel of the slides 11. Thecover or deiiector 38 is thus thrown into the position shown in dottedlines in Fig. 1, in which position the dropping ring or blank will rollalong it and thence into a chute 42, extending to the rear of themachine. lVhen the `deflector is released, it is drawn back by a spring53.

I preferably provide a 'feed-sheif 43, leading to the feed-rolls 2 and3, and also a guideplate 44, having guiding end ianges 45 between therolls 2 and 8 and the mandrel and leading to the pass between themandrel and the bending-roll 8. The mandrel is of such a size that willcorrespond to or be less than the interior diameter of the ring to beformed, and in the form shown the diameter of the mandrel is preferablyequal to the extreme diameter of the-threaded spring-ring formed.

rlhe main driving-shaft 46 is coupled to the central driving-pinion 47.The two upper pinions 48 and 49 and the lower pinion 50 mate directlywith this central pinion. The driving pinion 51 for the upper feed-rollmeshes with the pinion 49, and the drivingpinion 52 for the lower rollmeshes with the driving-pinion 51. Each of these pinions has a wabblerconnection with the corresponding roll of the mill, all of the rollsbeing driven except the bending-roll and the guide-roll, which rolls aredriven by friction with the mandrel. The arrangement of the pinions isshown in Fig. 6. The rolls 5,6, 7, 8, and 9 are all provided with endcollars, which work upon the edges of the blank.

To cushion the drop of the slides 11 and to exert a yielding pressureupon the rolls 7, 8, and 9, I preferably provide rubber cushions 54between the plate 13 and the block 14. I also preferably provide pipes55 and 56 for conducting cooling fluid to the threads of the upperfeed-roll and to the mandrel and shapingrolls.

I preferably form the threading feed-roll 2 of a series of transversesections secured together end to end with the threads in registry, thusYobtaining a cheap and easily-repaired threading-roll. I also preferablyarrange the bearings for the rollers 2 and 3 as shown in Fig. 2, so thatthey may be slipped out endwise without interfering with the other rollsand without taking the housings apart.

In order to make the blank thicker at a point opposite to the ends wherea spring-ring is made without welding the ends together, I preferablymake the roll 3 eccentric, so that it will thin down the metal of theblank near its ends and allow full thickness at its middle portion.rlhis assists in holding the ring in proper shape and adds to itsresilience.

In using the apparatus the blanks are cut to proper length and heated toless than a welding heat. One of these heated blanks is then fed betweenthe rolls 2 and 3 and a thread thereby formed on its upper surface.rIhese rolls are preferably so located that the front end of the blankenters the pass between the pass and the bending-roller before its rearend leaves the pass between the rollers 2 and 3, and as its front endmoves forward it is guided by the intermediate plate and flanges. Thehot blank is then rolled into ring form in the cluster-mill, the passesbetween the shapingrolls and mandrel being of the proper depth toprevent crushing of the threads. The blank is thus rolled into ringform, its ends being free and not welded together. The operator thenthrows in the clutch, if the same has been thrown off, and the rotationof the shaft 25 first lowers the slides 1l and then draws the mandreloutwardly. As the mandrel moves endwise the ring is stripped and rollsout to the rear. The mandrel is then automatically returned to itsnormal position, and the cam 24 then raises the slides 1l and the lowerrollers to their normal position. It will be understood that theoperator may allow the shaft 25 to rotate continuously, and by feedingin the blanks at the proper intervals the motions will be automatic, orhe can stop and start the shaft 25, as desired, between the operations.

The advantages of my invention result from the increased output and thedoing away with the laborious work of handling the screwthreadedmandrel, which operation is diflicult, especially with large-sizedprotectors. The use of the threaded feed-rolls does away with thenecessity for the present mandrel and enables the ring to beautomatically ejected, while the ring may be rolled at the same heat asthat usedin screw-threading.

While the invention is especially applicable to the rolling ofspring-ring protectors having inner threads, the ends being free andnonwelded, the mill may be used for rolling` welded IOO IIO

rings or bending blanks into ring form for making couplings, and manychanges may be made in the form and arrangement of the different partswithout 'departing from my invention.

l claiml. The combination with a cluster-mill arranged to roll blanksinto rings, of a pair of preliminary rolls in front of said mill,atleast one ot' said preliminary rolls being provided with externalscrew-threads arranged to form screw-threads upon one side of the blankas it passes to the cluster-mill; substantially as described.

2. rlhe combination with a cluster-mill arranged to roll blanks intorings, of a pair of preliminary rolls in front of the mill, at least oneof said preliminary rolls having external screw-threads arranged toscrew-thread one face of the blank, and mechanism for positively drivingat least one of said preliminary rolls; substantially as described.

3. The combination with a cluster-mill arranged to roll blanks intorings, of a pair of preliminary rolls in front of the entrance-pass oi'said mill, the upper of said preliminary rolls having externalscrew-threads arranged to screw-thread the upper face of the blank, andmeans for driving at least one of said Jfeedrollers; substantially asdescribed.

4. A cluster-mill having a pair of feed-rolls, one of which isscrew-threaded, the rolls being so arranged that the blank will enterthe bending-pass before it leaves the feed-rolls; substantially asdescribed.

The combination with a cluster-roll arranged to roll a blank into aring, of a pair of preliminary rolls in front of the entrance-pass or'said mill, at least one of the preliminary rolls being externallyscrew-threaded to form screw-threads on one face of the blank, saidcluster-mill having a mandrel, and mechanism for automatically moving'the mandrel endwise to'strip the ring; substantially as described.

6. A cluster-mill having the rolls below the mandrel carried invertically-movable slides, mechanism for raising and lowering theslides, and mechanism for moving the mandrel endwise in a predeterminedrelationship to the movement of the slides; substantially as described.

7. A cluster-mill having the rolls below the mandrel carried invertically-movable slides, automatic mechanism for raising and loweringthe slides, and automatic mechanism for moving the mandrel endwise in apredetermined relation to the movement of the slides; substantially asdescribed.

S. A cluster-mill having vertically-movable lower rolls, a coverarranged to prevent the ring from dropping on the lower roll, mechanismfor moving the cover over these rolls when lowered, and mechanism formoving the mandrel endwise to strip the ring; substantially asdescribed.

9. A cluster-mill having mechanism for raising and lowering the lowerrolls, mechanism for moving the mandrel in both directions, and drivingconnections arranged to operate both of lsaid mechanisms automatically;substantially as described.

l0. The combination with a cluster-mill arranged to roll a blank toring' form, of a pair of preliminary shaping-rolls in front of theentrance-pass, one of the preliminaryT rolls being externallyscrew-threaded, and the other being eccentric; substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

GEORGE W. LA VOO.

Witnesses:

L. M. REDMAN, H. M. CoRwiN.

